Jan 7, 2014

Healthy Crock-Pot Ideas

I know, I know... everybody and their mother wants to get healthier in 2014. Hey, I know I do! I'm so tired of saying this will be the day, the week I make the change but always falling off the wagon when it comes down to it. I do feel like Jared and I at least got a little bit of a jump on our 'lifestyle change' since joining a gym back in the fall. We've finally made working out a consistent part of our lives, even though we absolutely slacked off during the holidays and the craziness of my work schedule the past few weeks.

One things we've stuck with though is eating at home way more and cooking healthier options. Jared even got me my own PINK chef's knife for Christmas. That baby can chop veggies like nobody's business! And it's a good thing, seeing as how a majority of our meals in the winter time consist of meat and lots of vegetables in the crockpot. Plus, I find it weirdly therapeutic to be in the kitchen slicing and dicing and preparing our meals. The one positive to football season being over is that now I have more time to be in my happy place. You better believe after Sunday's loss I came home and wreaked havoc in the kitchen. Chop chop chop chop… don't mess with this girl and her pink knife!

The crockpot is just a life saver for two people who work full-time (and then some!) and especially nice to have filled with a warm meal when you come in from the negative 4 degree weather we're currently experiencing! So I thought I'd share a few of our SUPER simple crockpot recipes that are also healthy and much more low-carb than a lot of stuff I find on Pinterest.

Put all that yumminess in your crockpot on High for about 5-6 hours. This is one of those stews that tastes even better as leftovers. The first time we made it, Jared and I both took it to work the next day for lunch and agreed that it was even better the second time around. It's a weekly favorite in our house right now.

Italian Porkchops
-4-6 porkchops
-12 oz. Italian dressing

Seriously. Just those 2 ingredients! I generally try to use a light/reduced fat salad dressing. Easy, and they have so much flavor, just cook them on high for 4-6 hours. Our crockpot tends to be REALLY hot so they were perfect after 4 hours. We usually serve with steamed broccoli or a side salad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Crock-Pot Chicken Fajitas {via}
-1 yellow onion, sliced
-3 bell peppers, sliced
-1.5-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
-1/4 c. chicken broth (you can leave this out for a drier filling, but I LOVE it with)
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tablespoons cumin
-1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
-lime juice (as much or as little as you want)
-Tortillas and fajita toppings of your choice

Once your onions and peppers are sliced up, put them in a greased crockpot. Lay chicken on top, then broth, seasonings and lime juice. Cook on low for about 4-6 hours. You can find some great low-carb tortilla shells, or just go without and make it a fajita salad too. It's the most tender, delicious chicken recipe we've ever made in the crockpot-- another favorite of ours.
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My fellow Ohio gal Vanessa is sharing another delicious, healthy recipe and some of her tips and goals for getting back on track in 2014. Be sure to check out her post today over here.

Okay, okay… and if you need something that's not healthy, but a definite crowd pleaser, for your Super Bowl party, perhaps? Try this delicious dip:

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the cheese is fully melted. Serve immediately or turn to low and serve for up to 6 hours.

I'm going to try those pork chops! My go to crockpot meal is chicken topped with taco seasoning (you can make your own for a healthier version) topped with salsa. Cook on high all day. The original rep says to put sour cream in it. I just eat as is with rice or tortillas.

LOVE these.I'm definitely going to need to make that stew!! I'm obsessed with my crock pot and use it as much as I can! Just last night I made some delicious taco soup/chili in it and it was awesome after a long day of work!

I love chopping veggies and slicing fruit! One of my favourite things! I'm not a big crock pot user but I saw a recipe on Pinterest the other day for baked potatoes in the crock pot that I really want to try!